


Smokescreen

by stellarparallax



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, F/M, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Magic-Users, Minor Canonical Character(s), Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Non-Graphic Violence, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-03-10 15:08:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13504086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarparallax/pseuds/stellarparallax
Summary: Non-mages were the scum of the Earth. They were often found cold in dark, dirty alleys. He knew that well enough. Somehow, he had lived to the age of twenty-one without meeting that cruel end yet. He had been luckier than most. Before, the mages who targeted often gave in the second he offered them his money. This time, it was clear that they were out for blood.





	1. Enchantment

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for Infienight or [@dyedgreyillusion](http://dyedgreyillusion.tumblr.com/)/[@runonthewind](http://runonthewind.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! I said that I'd write her any Sheith fic she wanted if she made and posted a Very Specific Thing so I'm here to deliver. Do check out her art blog (runonthewind), it's great!

First, there was a step, then another.

The mages didn’t have to make their presence explicitly known for Shiro to be cognizant of them following him. He expelled the air in his lungs forcefully, preparing for a deep breath. Then, he took off, hoping beyond hope for a shot at outrunning them. He tried to lose them by running into an alley. It wasn’t until too late that he realised his fatal error.

The shadows cast by them in the dim light of the streets of Koriades loomed over him. The chill that pulsated through his body was only amplified by the fear that struck him as soon as his back touched a hard surface. He had retreated to the dead end of a deserted alley. As he watched one of the bandits unsheath a glowing blade, he accepted his fate as just a name amongst the obituaries in the morning paper. That is, of course, if the bandits were merciful enough to leave his remains recognisable enough to be identified by the authorities.

It wasn’t the first time that he was picked as a victim for mages and, if by some miracle he survived, it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Though, it wasn’t just that his status as a non-mage that placed a target on his back. In spite of his large built, he had always been a weak and sickly person. His strength and immunity improved with age, but he was still painfully vulnerable and it didn’t take a powerful psychic mage to sense that. When he was younger, he always thought that he would one day wield a strong power when he started showing magical potential as he hit puberty, like everyone else. Unfortunately, that never happened. His eighteenth birthday was when he stopped hoping for the day to finally come.

Non-mages were the scum of the Earth. They were often found cold in dark, dirty alleys. He knew that well enough. Somehow, he had lived to the age of twenty-one without meeting that cruel end yet. He had been luckier than most. Before, the mages who targeted often gave in the second he offered them his money. This time, it was clear that they were out for blood.  

“What is your name?” one of them asked.

“Shiro… Takashi Shirogane.”

“I will carve your name into my skin. I do that to all my victims,” he smirked.

“Please, please don’t do this.”

“Sorry, non-mage. Your execution day is here.”

“Please…”

Suddenly, there was a flash of red that swept between them, followed by a loud groan. Then another flash came, and another. Shiro blinked, trying to make out what was happening before him. Before he managed to take anything else in, he saw the three mages before him drop to their knees, clearly in a lot of pain. Then, there was another flash and all three of them were on the ground, dead.

“Are you okay?”

Shiro turned to his right and noticed that there was a cloaked stranger standing there. His breath hitched as he was hit with the realisation that his ordeal was far from over.

“I’ll give you whatever you want. Do you want money? I have it. It’s not a lot but it’s almost the end of the month and I’m going to get paid. Do you want my computer? You can have it. Just please don’t kill me… No one will be around to look after my cat.”

“Shiro, relax,” the man tried to reassure him as he pulled down his hood, revealing a mop of raven hair, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“How… how do you know my name?”

“I owe you my life, remember? Now, my debt is paid.”

“Debt?”

The man approached him slowly. Then, he reached out and touched Shiro’s face with his gloved hand.

“It’s really you… Huh, you don’t remember?”

“Wait, I think I do. Did I let you into school when you came in late so you wouldn’t get into trouble once? Keith, I think your name was?”

Keith clenched his jaw.

“Yes, that was me.”

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but that hardly warrants a life debt. Thank you, though. I guess I owe you my life now.”

“Uhh… Well I had so many late slips that I would have gotten kicked out of school if you hadn’t covered for me. My parents would have killed me. So yeah, you did actually save my life.”

Keith offered Shiro his hand. Shiro took it and was taken aback by how easily Keith pulled him up to his feet, but he decided that strength enhancement was probably part of his ability. After all, he did seem to have some way to increase his speed.

“I’ll walk you home. Don’t want you running into any more trouble tonight.”

Even in the shadows of the buildings leading up to the main street, Keith looked like he was positively radiant -- not in the way that the mage’s blade did a while ago, but like he was bathed in gold light. His eyes scanned Keith’s face for cruel intention, but he found none. The man was completely and incandescently sincere.

“Well, uh, are you going to lead the way?”

“Yes, uhm, yes. Thank you, Keith. I really appreciate it.”

“Like I said, Shiro, I owe you my life.”

“I thought you said that your debt has been paid.”

“Do you want me to walk you home or not?” his voice had a tinge of annoyance.

“Yes! I’m sorry, I’m just… I’m sorry, ignore me.”

“It’s fine. Just lead the way.”

Shiro turned around to pick up his things, then walked towards the main street.

“Wait.”

He stopped and turned around. He saw Keith kick over one of the mages’ body and retrieved the blade that he had tried to use on Shiro earlier.

“I forgot that this was the reason I was even in the area -- it was stolen from me. I cast an enchantment on it so that I can tell when someone else is using it and where they are.”

“Why would someone steal that?”

“I imbued it with a part of my soul. Someone who wields it will be able to use my magic remotely.”

“Wow… I don’t know much about magic but that sounds like a very scary thing to have falling in the wrong hands.”

“It is.”

Keith sheathed the blade, then shoved the blade into Shiro’s hands.

“Take it.”

“What?”

“If you ever get attacked again, activate it and I’ll be by your side.”

“Keith, I’m…”

“What?”

“I’m a non-mage. I can’t… I can’t do magic.” Shiro averted his eyes.

“You’re a-- hmm…”

“I’m sorry. I’m grateful but… I’m a non-mage.”

“So was the guy back there. There’s a syndicate of non-mages that’s been stealing enchanted weapons from mages for months to use for criminal activity.”

“I thought…”

“Did you think that all of the recent attacks were by mages?”

“I did, actually.”

“Well, you’re not entirely wrong. When mages lose their enchanted weapons, they generally report it to the authorities so that they wouldn’t be faulted if it was found that their magic was used for crime. However, the report rate has been suspiciously low as of late. I suspect that there are some mages who are handing them out to power-hungry non-mages.”

“Wow, I…”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… it’s just a lot to take in.”

“I understand. Take the blade please. It’s getting late.”

Shiro nodded and took it, putting it in his bag for safe-keeping. He looked at Keith, letting his gaze linger on his dark purple eyes. He took a deep breath then orientated himself towards the direction of his apartment. He walked home, hearing Keith’s almost-silent footsteps always one step behind him.

The street was far from empty, but Shiro felt like they were the only ones in the entire city. He thought about how aware Keith was about the criminal activity that the press has tried to cover up and the reporting statistics that no one but the authorities would know about. Then, he realised that he probably wasn’t the only person who had been saved by Keith. Keith was probably a known vigilante, needed by the masses to protect them when law enforcement failed to.

The thing was -- mages of high calibre were rare in Koriades and an average adult non-mage would generally have been able to fight them off, even if they only managed to escape while on the brink of death. Shiro wasn’t one of those adults. If anything, he needed Keith more than anyone in the whole damn city.

 

* * *

 

Shiro was worried at first, but he was almost home without having any encounters with dangerous people. Where the mages from the previous night had left off, he had expected their friends to resume. It didn’t happen. If he didn’t feel the weight of Keith’s blade in his bag, he would have chalked it up to mere hallucination. Everything that has happened being due to the mischief of a psychic mage would have been a much simpler explanation. Instead, he had syndicates and enchanted weapons to think of, and he felt like he was going to shut down from being so overwhelmed.

Suddenly, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent -- blood.

He could practically hear the blood pumping in his ears. He ran to where he thought the smell was coming from and got to the entrance of a dark alley. In that moment, he honestly didn’t know what he’d regret more; staying away and leaving someone else to die, or doing something that would cause him to die. He swallowed hard as he made his choice.

The stench only got stronger with each step he took, which probably meant that the source was near. He took a deep breath, then kept going, trying his best not to gag. Whoever lost blood certainly lost a lot of it. The only thing he could realistically hope for was that their suffering has already stopped.  

When he saw the body, he realised why he had been drawn to it. The blade in his bag had been homing in on its true master.

Shiro felt like he had just been punched in the gut. The splatter all across the three walls of the dead end was probably enough for it to take days of constant rain to wash away. He ran to Keith, pulling his limp body closer to him. Keith’s blood was getting all over him and he was squeamish, but he didn’t care. All his thoughts and worries distilled into a single resounding scream.

He pressed his cheek against Keith’s collarbone, whispering apologies for getting him involved in the mess that inevitably led to his death.

“I should have just died last night, Keith. I’m so sorry.”

Then he heard it -- a pulse.

“Keith? Keith? Stay with me buddy, please come through.”

Shiro shook Keith’s body, hoping to wake him up. He brushed the hair out of Keith’s face and touched his forehead. It was still warm.

Keith’s shoulders shivered and his eyelids flew open.

“Shiro?” he coughed. “What are you doing here? Run, it isn’t safe.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you. You were there for me last night, I will be here for you now.”

“Shiro, if they come back, I can’t protect you. My blade can’t protect you.”

“Which is why I’m not going to stay here. Let’s go, we’re going to a hospital.”

Keith parted his lips to say something, but was silenced by a coughing fit.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Shiro pulled off his t-shirt and ripped it into strips. Then, he tied them together and started wrapping the long piece of fabric around Keith’s chest. It didn’t take long for Keith to bleed through the makeshift bandages, but at least it was better than letting him bleed out unobstructed. He put Keith’s arm over his shoulder and pulled him up to his feet.

“You’re going to get my blood all over your chest,” Keith snorted. “If you were a weapon, you’d be enchanted by now.”

“Is that your idea of a pick up line?”

“Maybe.”

“If you get out of here alive, I’d go on a date with you.”

“Date, huh. I don’t do those.”

“What do you do?”

“Investigations. People’s lives are at stake and I need to find out why. I was supposed to leave Koriades tonight to go searching for the Spider.”

“Spider?”

“The Queen of Webs. You probably haven’t heard of her. She’s probably the most powerful psychic mage. She can make connections between people she’s never met and understand their intentions towards each other. Well, I can’t go in this state for some time, can I?”

“Not alone.”

“Yeah.”

“Let me come with you.”

Keith stopped in his tracks and looked up at Shiro.

“What?”

“If I go with you, you’d have someone to watch out for you. You can take rest periods without worry. I… I could protect you. I mean, I could try. You know how I--”

“Shiro?”

“Yeah?”

“Just shut up and get me to the hospital. We’ll discuss the details of our travel when I’m not bleeding out of my chest.”

“Yes, sir.”

 

* * *

 

There was a lot of bleeding, but the cuts weren’t deep, and no major organs were damaged. It was nothing that a couple of stitches wouldn’t fix. Keith just needed a few days to get his strength back before they could set off to look for the Queen of Webs. He would need to take along a lot of antiseptic dressing, sterile bandages and antibiotics, but he would manage as long as he didn’t have to fight too much in the first week.

During Keith’s recovery period, Shiro had exhausted his funds to buy supplies for their journey and a suitable pet carrier for Noire if she ever got tired from walking. It was probably a bad idea to take her along, but it wasn’t as if he had anyone to leave her with. He definitely wasn’t about to leave her on her own.

He was checking his bags for the fifth time to make sure that he had everything they’d need when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to see Keith, looking slightly disheveled but otherwise in good shape. He clearly hadn’t combed his hair since he got to the hospital, though.

“Hey.”

Keith was looking at him with doe eyes and Shiro could have sworn that his heart stopped. All the other times he’d see Keith, he had a stern expression. He never thought he was even capable of looking relaxed. Perhaps the hospital stay really was good for him, and not just physically.

“Hey yourself,” Shiro mumbled.

Keith entered the room and took a look around at the bags that Shiro had lined up for the both of them to take. Keith didn’t have many possessions and he was used to travelling light, but the Queen of Webs was last known to reside a lot further from Koriades than any journey he’d ever taken. They had to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

“What’s her name?” Keith asked.

“W-w-w-what name? There is no name. I don’t have a girlfriend!”

“... I was talking about your cat.”

“Ah… Noire.”

“Because she’s black… cute.”

“Uh… I didn’t ask but… I’m taking her along.”

“Is she trained to follow?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it’s fine. I don’t want anything bad to happen to such a beauty. I wouldn’t know how to break the news to her handsome dad.”

“Handso--” Shiro felt his face burn up.

“We have to go now,” Keith cut him off.

Keith was still having trouble bending down because he didn’t want any of his stitches to snap. Shiro lifted up the smaller bag and helped to strap it onto Keith. Then he pat the bottom of the bag like a parent getting their child ready for school.

“What was that for?” Keith laughed.

“Nothing, just teasing.”

Shiro picked up his own bag and strapped it on, buckling it between the straps. He looked around the living room to see if he left anything important behind. When he was certain that he didn’t, he got Noire into the pet carrier and slinged it around his neck. Noire purred softly as Shiro soothed her to sleep.

“Ready?” Shiro’s voice was shaking.

“When you are,” Keith smirked.

Keith opened the door and stepped out into the still dark. It was early in the morning -- the time right before dawn when it was dark but the street lamps had already been turned off. Shiro took one final look at the house that he had spent the last three years in, taking it in for what could be the last time he was in Koriades. Then, he followed Keith’s lead, ready for what lurked beyond the city boundaries.


	2. Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this one is a little heavy on the exposition. I promise the story will pick up in the next chapter.

The cave was illuminated by the crackling campfire that Keith had set up. They were seated next to each other, huddled together for warmth, with Noire stretched across both of their laps. Shiro tried not to get offended by the fact that Noire chose to lay her upper body on Keith’s lap and her lower half on Shiro’s, occasionally whipping him in the face with her tail. Keith laughed at the sour face that Shiro pulled as he pat the space between Noire’s ears. 

“Laugh all you want. She’s still MY cat,” Shiro sulked.

“She seems to think otherwise,” Keith said as he nudged Shiro in the rib.

“Oh yeah? Wait until you don’t feed her exactly the way she wants to be fed. After that, she won’t even remember your face.”

“She has a specific way she likes to be fed?”

“Oh, I’m not telling you. You’re learning it the hard way, you cat heart thief.”

Keith snorted and continued to pat Noire’s head. He shifted slightly, pressing a little more of his weight against Shiro. Shiro bit his lip to keep himself from saying anything about it that would likely cause Keith to feel uncomfortable and move away from him. He looked around at the interior of the cave, attempting to distract himself. 

“So, uhm, what happened that left you in that bloody mess?” Shiro asked nervously.

“Uhm… I ran into the wrong company I guess.”

Shiro turned to look at Keith and raised an eyebrow. He remembered Keith being able to move quickly from one place to another. There was no way that he couldn’t have outrun anyone who tried to pursue him. If Keith couldn’t escape, there wasn’t hope for anyone else. 

“Okay, fine, I’ll admit it: I was following you. I was trying to make sure that nobody would try to assault you again.”

Shiro felt a chill shoot up his spine. Keith had almost given his life trying to protect him. 

“And there was?”

“Yeah. This time, they brought more friends out to play.”

“Well I’m glad I’m no longer in Koriades. And also, that I’m uhm… that I’m with you now.”

“Yeah, can you imagine if I left without you? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I came back and found out that you died while I was gone.”

“That’s not— I mean, yes, I guess it did work out for the best.”

“I guess it did.”

Keith yawned, then shifted around more until his head was leaning flush against Shiro’s chest. Instinctively, Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith’s torso before realising what he had done. Then, it was too late to take it back.

“Goodnight, Shiro,” Keith muttered as he made himself comfortable in Shiro’s embrace.

“Uh… yeah, goodnight Keith.”

Shiro willed his heart to steady, to not let Keith notice how fast it was racing. By all intents and purposes, Keith was a perfect stranger. They may have had a past together, but that didn’t mean that they were close. He knew he was being forward and it was only by a miracle that Keith wasn’t backing away. Why wasn’t Keith backing away?

Then, Noire snuggled up to Shiro, and he let sleep overcome him too. 

 

* * *

 

When the light streaming into the cave at sunrise woke him up, Shiro noticed that Keith was no longer with him. He tried not to panic as he looked around the cave. There was no sign of Keith. Noire’s head was still leaning against the edge of his lap, somehow undisturbed by Keith’s departure. 

“Keith?” Shiro called out.

There was no response. The fire had long died out in the night, and the cold was starting to make a home in the cave once more. Shiro pulled Noire closer to himself to make sure that she didn’t feel cold. She meowed and jumped out of his arms, then ran towards the entrance of the cave.

“Noire, come back!”

Shiro would have gone out to look for her, but he was starting to get afraid. He hadn’t known Keith for long, but it was unlike him to abandon him especially when he wasn’t even conscious to try to defend himself. His thoughts started to wander to the possibility of Keith getting taken away by evil mages to be drained of his power and he started to worry. It was a possibility, right? Still petrified, he decided to bite the bullet and go out to search for Keith.

Just as he was about to stand up, he heard Noire’s purring. He squinted at the direction of the light and saw Noire walking back into the cave proudly, with Keith right behind her carrying three limp fish in his arms.

“Good morning,” Keith greeted him as he dropped the fish next to the firewood.

“I thought… I thought you were…”

“Gone? Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t leave you. How would I survive without my medic?” he smirked. 

“Hah, that’s true… I guess.” Shiro definitely didn’t believe that. “How are your wounds, anyway?”

“We can take a look at them later. Now, we eat.”

Keith struck a match and threw it onto the firewood. There was a soft sizzle before the fire started to grow. Keith threw in a few more dried sticks to get the fire going faster. Shiro watched silently at how easy Keith’s manner was. Living out in the wild, perhaps even alone, was something that Keith was used to. 

When prompted, Shiro retrieved a pack of wooden skewers that Keith had instructed him to pack. He thread the skewers through the fish and handed them to Keith to hold them over the fire. When the first one was cooked, Keith handed it to Shiro.

“For making you worry,” Keith smiled gently at him.

“Thank you.”

The second fish went to Noire. Keith held onto it for a while after it was done to make sure that it wasn’t too hot for her. He poked at it to see if it was cool enough, then pulled it off the skewer and set it in front of her. She walked over to him and rubbed her face against his leg before returning to the fish and devouring it.

“That’s how she likes it?” Keith grinned.

“Yeah…” Shiro admitted bitterly.

Soon, his own fish was ready, and he barely waited to start eating. Shiro stared in amazement as Keith ripped through the flesh with his teeth so quickly that he was done with it before Shiro was even halfway done with his. Keith caught Shiro staring, and his face flushed scarlet. 

“I’m… I’m used to doing things quickly. Leaves me vulnerable for shorter periods of time,” he mumbled.

Shiro nodded.

After he was done with his fish, Shiro walked over to their piles of bags. He took out a roll of crepe bandages and the tube of antiseptic gel that the Keith had picked up from the pharmacy. When he returned to the space by the fire where Keith was, Keith had already removed his own shirt. 

Shiro set the bandages and the tube by his side, then unraveled the dirty bandages that were sticking to Keith’s skin. He pulled them off slowly, afraid to pull too hard at the raw edges of his wound. Finally, when the bandages were off, he stared at Keith’s chest in surprise.

“What is it?” Keith asked.

“It’s just that… it’s almost healed. Look at it! Apart from the pink line down the middle and the stitches, it’s like you were never attacked.”

Keith ran his fingers across the surface of the scar, noting that the sutures were the only uneven parts of his skin. While he was glad that it recovered so fast, he still wondered how it happened, when it had looked far gnarlier when he last had his bandages changed. 

“Huh… Well, just apply the gel and wrap the new bandages. I’m not taking any chances.”

“Of course,” Shiro smiled at him, before he got to work.

Keith winced as the antiseptic gel touched his wound. It was cooling, but there was still a bit of a sting. Still, he was glad that it was Shiro applying it and not the nurse that he had to put up with while he was in the hospital. She had absolutely no mercy nor remorse and did it as hastily and unceremoniously as her conscious would allow her to in her rush to treat all of the patients in the ward. It wasn’t that Keith blamed her. He knew that she had a tough job to do. He was just relieved that he wasn’t part of it anymore. 

Keith tried not to giggle at Shiro humming sweetly to himself as he wrapped the bandage around Keith’s waist. It was hard for him to believe that the gentle, unassuming man before him was the same person that he’d met all those years ago. When Shiro was done securing the bandage in a knot, he looked up and smiled at Keith. Keith bit his lip, summoning all the strength in him to resist kissing the dopey grin off Shiro’s face. Shiro got up and walked over to pat Noire, and Keith took that as his cue to put his shirt back on. 

“Do we start moving now?” Shiro asked as he set Noire on his lap.

“That would be ideal. But if you’re still tired we can afford to sit around for another hour or so.”

“No, I’m ready. I want to get to the Queen as soon as we can.”

“Ah, well we better start moving then.”

Keith walked over and started packing the tools that he used earlier into his backpack. Shiro kept Keith’s medication into his own bag, then nudged Noire into the pet carrier. He heard Keith sniggering as he strapped it to the front of his body.

“What?”

“You look like a dad.”

“I mean, I am -- a cat dad.”

“And I thought I was single.”

Shiro elbowed Keith in the stomach, then winced when he realised what he had done. Keith stumbled over a little. He sighed dramatically as he shook his head in mock disdain.

“Sorry,” Shiro whispered.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll hurt you worse one day.”

 

* * *

 

“I distinctly remember you saying that Noire was trained to follow you around. And yet, here you are, carrying her like an infant.”

“I mean, she’s a cat. You can’t exactly train cats to do anything. I’ve just never had any problems with her running off,” Shiro paused to kiss Noire’s forehead, “Besides, she’s mostly an indoor cat. I’m trying to get her used to the outdoors.”

“Fair enough.”

Keith hopped from rock to rock until he got to the other side of the creek. Satisfied with the knowledge that all of the rocks were stuck fast and safe to step on, he crossed back to the side that Shiro was on. He waved Shiro over encouragingly.

Keith’s hand on his forearm made Shiro feel safe. He wasn’t the type to seek out adventure and he definitely wasn’t the type to cross a body of water without the proper safety equipment. With Keith around, he abandoned his fears. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, what magic do you have?” Shiro asked, noting that Keith was still holding onto his arm even after they crossed the creek.

“Motion manipulation. I can enhance my own speed and strength, and to a certain degree, move objects without touching them,” Keith let go of Shiro’s arm.

“So if I asked you to carry me right now, you could?”

“I could do that without magic,” Keith smiled coyly at him, “Honestly, I don’t really use magic that often.”

“Wait, what? Then how did you--”

“Diet and exercise,” Keith snorted.

Shiro raised an eyebrow.

“No, I’m serious. My magic reserves are extremely low, so I keep my usage to a minimum. I can’t let myself get caught unprepared with my reserves empty.”

Hearing that, Shiro found himself lost in his own thoughts. It wasn’t that he hadn’t accepted that he didn’t have any magic, but there was a spark of hope that perhaps he did had a bit of magic in him after all. Maybe he just didn’t know how harness it. Maybe, Keith could teach him how to.

It was a few hours past noon, and they’d have to start searching for a place to rest for the night. Shiro was feeling breathless so they stopped by a large rock to take a break. His face had gone pale, and his breathing was heavy. He was thankful that they were trekking through a forest and not in the middle of the desert. He didn’t do well with heat.

“Here, drink this,” Keith handed Shiro his flask.

Shiro took it and downed half of its contents. He leaned back and let his body recover. Soon, he was feeling better. 

“Keith, could you explain the whole magic reserves thing? I remember learning about it in class but it kind of went over my head. You know, not being able to experience it myself and all.”

“Well, you need to remember that magic reserves and magic control are two related, but distinctly separate things. Generally, a mage with low magic reserves tend to be better at controlling it, while a mage with high magic reserves would struggle a lot more. Mages with high magic reserves who also have high levels of control over it are very few and far between.”

“That’s-- hmm…” 

“I like to think that that’s how the logic of our world keeps things mostly balanced.”

“That does seem fair.”

Shiro’s eyes were downcast. He didn’t express how he was feeling about what Keith had just told him, but it was a huge concern.

“I wouldn’t worry about that last group,” Keith quickly added, “They do exist -- in fact, we’re on our way to meeting one -- but they keep to themselves and spend most of their time either teaching or learning. My father used to say that when you possess a power that great, you tend not to bother with other people.”

Shiro’s eyes widened, “How did you know that--”

“That’s what everyone worries about at some point,” Keith reached out to squeeze Shiro’s bicep gently, “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

Shiro pressed his lips together, eyes narrowed. There was something that was bothering him, but he wasn’t sure what. Was he really  _ that _ worried about running into a powerful mage? Was he worried about something else? His thoughts were a mess and the more he tried to decipher them, the more confused he got. There was something that didn’t make sense, but what?

“Motion manipulation and healing, huh? That’s quite the combination,” Shiro muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, your abilities. It’s quite the uh… skillset.”

“Shiro, I don’t have healing magic.”

“What?”

Keith didn’t have a chance to answer Shiro. As soon as he heard the ruffling of dried leaves, his ears perked up and he got into a defensive stance. His right arm was held out to his side, forming a barrier between Shiro and their adversary. He bared his teeth and growled.

“What do you want?” Keith demanded.

The stranger swaggered as he came close. The corner of his lips twitched in excitement as he twirled the sword in his right hand. He tilted his head to the side, eyes locked on Shiro. 

“I think you know,” the stranger smirked, “That I want your magic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you made it to the end! Thank you so much!
> 
> I'd really appreciate it if you left me kudos and comments! Or you could also yell at me on [tumblr](http://stellar-parallax.tumblr.com)
> 
> Have a good day!


	3. Synchrony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Wait what, this fic is still going??_
> 
> I'm sorry this took ridiculously long to update. I wasn't really feeling it at the time and I've only recently wanted to continue it again. Thank you so much for waiting! I really appreciate it. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you :)

“Excuse me?” Shiro’s voice cracked.

“Not you, the cat. Hand her over and we can part ways peacefully.”

“Could we just do the last part without the first?” Shiro laughed nervously.

Keith shot Shiro a warning glance as he inched forward. His body was tense, ready to pounce at the first inkling of any hostile movement. He never liked getting into fights, but it seemed that he’d have to as long as Shiro remained by his side. He reached for the knife strapped to his belt and curled his fingers around the handle. He was prepared.

From his outward appearance alone, Keith couldn’t tell how powerful their adversary was. It worried him that he didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know how to construct a strategy around it. But if he’s searching for power by trying to steal a random black cat from a non-mage… Well, he must have been pretty desperate. That probably meant that he didn’t have much magic himself. It was possible that he had lower magic reserves than Keith.

Still, Keith was wary. Having encountered his fair share of wild cards, he knew that he could never underestimate his enemies. He’d seen the wild feats that lower-level mages could do out of sheer desperation. He had to keep his guard up.

“What’s the cat for?” Keith asked.

“Hmm, no, that’s not how it works. I don’t have to tell you anything. Give me the cat and I let you live.”

“Somehow,” Keith snorted, “I doubt that you could lay a finger on me. Heard of Kolivan?”

“I might have. Are you him?”

“God, no. I’m one of his students. Maybe you’ve also heard of the name Lance?”

“That’s your name? Lance?”

The truth was that Keith was terrified. If he had been alone, he could have easily outrun the guy. Now that he had Shiro to worry about, he didn’t feel too confident about his ability to fight him off. He hoped that he could somehow talk the man out of picking a fight with them.

Then again, no one who knew him would say that he was particularly adept at talking his way out of trouble.

“It might be.”

“Wait wha—” Shiro blurted out, but stopped himself when Keith turned to him.

“So what if you are? You’re no Kolivan. Why should some Lance guy scare me?”

Shiro had to admit that the man did have a point. 

“Ahh, you see, I am his best student. Do you have any idea how highly sought after Kolivan’s students are for assassination missions?”

“Either way...” Impatience was rising in his voice. “I wouldn’t even need to lay a finger on  _ you _ .”

Shiro froze.

“I know he’s a non-mage. It wouldn’t even be a challenge. I could even take my time, savour every min—”

Keith didn’t let him finish. 

As he cut through the air, a trail of scarlet followed. He kneed the man in the abdomen, then spun around him and positioned himself to sweep him off his feet. Unfortunately, the element of surprise that he had wore off and the man evaded his second hit. 

“You’re going to have to do better than that, Lance.”

“Tch.”

Keith charged towards him. This time, the trail he left was black. At the last second, he whipped out his blade. He swiped his arm, hoping to do some damage. But the man leaped out of the way, the tip of the blade barely grazing him. His eyes widened. He’d realised that Keith had used his magic to slow his movements down. 

“Ah, motion manipulation. Uncommon. Low stamina,” he recited.

“Shut up.” Keith gritted his teeth.

“Prove me wrong, then,” he laughed. 

The man lifted his right hand to the side and muttered an incantation that Keith couldn’t hear. Suddenly, his hand glowed bright blue. Keith’s eyes widened in horror. He would have recognise that ability with his eyes shut. It was the same one that his mother had—volatile force manipulation. 

“Shiro, RUN.”

Shiro didn’t need to be told twice. He scrambled to his feet. Still holding onto Noire, he ran. He pushed past the overgrown branches, getting a few scratches on his arms in the process. He winced in pain as he brushed past a bush full of thorns. 

This is nothing, he thought, nothing if he got to live. 

Suddenly, he froze where he stood. It felt like someone was holding him back by his ankles. He looked down at Noire slowly. He didn’t even need to check to know that Keith wasn’t right behind him. He turned around hesitantly, dreading to see the outcome of the fight. 

What he saw was nothing that he expected at all. 

Half of the area that was within his field of vision had been destroyed. Where trees once stood had nothing but sooty remains. Well, nothing else apart from Keith’s lifeless body, straddling the line between the unharmed section and the blackened section.

“KEITH!”

Shiro went to him, desperately fighting back tears. How could he have left him behind? How could he have only thought of himself? Before, he knew that he wasn’t a selfish person. Now, he wasn’t so sure anymore. 

It was Keith. Keith didn’t just save his life, he saved it thrice. He would have done it again if he were still alive. If Keith was telling the truth about owing him a life debt, he’d already paid it with interest. And Shiro just left him behind, to die alone. It was his cat that man was after. It should have been his burden to bear. 

He hadn’t gotten far from where they were, but Shiro felt like he was running for miles. 

“Keith,” he gasped as he cradled him in his arms, “Please, please be alive.”

He took his pulse. He wasn’t sure if he felt something, or his fingers were just trembling too hard. He placed his cheek against Keith’s mouth, hoping to hear or feel him breathing. Nothing.

Then, a sudden intake of breath.

“I… told… you… to… run…” Keith choked out between wheezes.

“You’re alive… How?”

“Managed… to… push… him… away…with magic. Sorry…”

“What? Why are you apologising? You saved my life, again.”

“Takes time… to recharge… I can’t protect you for now…”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad that you’re alive.” Shiro brushed back the hair that was sticking to Keith’s face. “Let’s get you somewhere safe, okay?”

Keith nodded forcefully, still panting. When he finally calmed down after Shiro brushed his hair soothingly, he shivered before drifting off to sleep. 

The injuries that Shiro could see didn’t look too bad. But it was possible that the internal damage was far worse. That wasn’t something that Shiro would have been able to check for in the middle of the forest. They had to get moving, but it would have to wait. If his estimates were correct, there were only a few hours of daylight left. He wasn’t going to risk running into more adversaries in the middle of the night with one of them unconscious. 

Shiro pulled him closer to his own chest and whispered, “I got you, Keith. This time, I’m never letting go.”

 

* * *

 

Shiro watched Keith’s chest rise and fall as he slept with his head on his lap. Luckily, the river they crossed had been practically untarnished, so Shiro had a place to collect fresh water to wash the dirt and blood off Keith. He still looked in bad shape, but at least he was cleaner than before.

“Shiro.” Keith grimaced as he tried to sit up.

“No, no, don’t get up. What do you need? I’ll bring it to you.”

Keith’s face turned red.

“What is it? Anything at all. I don’t care how uncomfortable it is for me. I’ll do it for you.”

“... I need to pee.”

Shiro bit his lip.

“Sorry, buddy, can’t help you there.”

“I figured,” Keith wheezed.

Shiro supported his back as he slowly got up. Once he sat up, he collapsed back into Shiro’s arms.

“You know what? I don’t really need to go.”

“Come on, get up Keith.” Shiro got on his feet, then pulled Keith up.

With one hand on Keith’s waist, he pressed Keith close to himself. The pair slowly made their way to a dark, relatively concealed area before they went in different directions.

“Are you normally this weak when your reserves are depleted or should I be concerned?” 

“I’ve never drained it this badly before, but this feels about right. I should be fully recovered in a day or two,” Keith explained, “... uh, Shiro? Can you help me back now?”

Shiro walked over to him and caught him right before he lost his balance. He slung Keith’s arm over his shoulders, and brought him back to their campsite where Noire was waiting for them. As soon as they sat down, she jumped onto Keith’s lap and looked up at him with wide, watery eyes.

“Why… why is she looking at me like that?”

“She uh,” Shiro stuttered, “Maybe she wants to say that she’s thankful for everything you’ve done and might feel a little guilty for leaving you behind and he’s very sorry?”

“He?”

“Uh...”

“Don’t try to apologise to me through your cat. It’s weird.”

“Sorry.”

Keith leaned over to give Shiro a peck on his cheek. “I’m just glad that you’re safe.”

Keith didn’t exactly have a shirt left to speak of. Apart from a filthy shirt that he had been wearing a few days ago, Keith didn’t have anything to change into. As it got later into the night, the air got colder so Shiro lent him his last clean shirt. It hung from him like a tent.

“Keith, what… what do you gain from all of this—protecting me, protecting her? Why is this worth the risk for you?”

As he expected, he didn’t get an answer. He turned and saw Keith already asleep.

 

* * *

 

Shiro couldn’t explain the uneasiness that overcame him as they stepped into Galtic City—the place where, according to Keith, was where the Queen of Webs resided. There was something strange about it. It drew the eyes with its stunning gravity-defying architecture, but was also gaudily decorated. It was as if the city planner came up with a list of terrible ideas, marked them on a target, and picked whichever he hit with the dart. 

Still, Galtic City was rumoured to be one of the safest places to travel to, especially for non-mages. That was enough for Shiro to completely overlook how hideous it was. 

“So, uh, how are we finding her?”

“I have no idea. The only thing Lance told me was that she was in Galtic City Five. I haven’t met him in person in a while and he was afraid that our phones could be tapped.”

“Lance… that was the name you used back in the forest.”

“Oh, yeah. He’s, uh, an associate.”

“So like, a friend.”

“Sort of? He isn’t awful or anything. I just don’t get close to people that easily, I guess.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “If he’s your friend, why did you give that guy his name? Couldn’t that be dangerous for him?”

“Oh, please.” Keith paused to laugh. “I’d love to see him  _ try _ to hurt Lance. Now that Lance is under the— wait hang on, that can’t be right.”

Keith walked over to a spot along the sidewalk with the maker’s mark. It said ‘Altean Corp 2010’. He ran his fingers along the words, digging his fingernails into the corners of the letters. Next to the mark, there was a drawing of a sundial that, as far as Shiro could tell, had a gnomon that was facing the wrong direction. It wasn’t protruding, like a real sundial would have looked. It was drawn into the concrete just like “Altean Corp 2010” was. There was something off about it, but he couldn’t figure out what. 

“What is it?” Shiro asked.

“The maker’s mark says that this street was made in 2010. In 2010, there were no streets in Galtic City yet. It only started getting developed around, say, 2013. This could be a clue to the Queen’s location.”

“Or it could be a clue to literally anything else.”

“Come on, how many secrets can one city hide?”

“Are you forgetting that we left the town we’re both from because of the secrets it hid?”

“Touch é . Then again, if the Queen is here, Coran is probably with her. I’m sure he’d squash any underground activity.”

Shiro couldn’t argue with that, mostly because he had no idea what Keith meant by his statement. Instead, he followed his lead and tried to help where he could. They walked around the area looking for any seams in the sidewalk that would indicate a secret passageway, but they couldn’t find any. 

Shiro glanced at the sundial drawing once more and his eyes widened. Shiro grabbed Keith’s wrist and pulled him back to the spot they found the maker’s mark. 

“Keith, what does the five in ‘Galtic City Five’ mean? Are there numbered districts here?”

“As far as I know, no. Huh, now that you’ve mentioned it, it was an odd thing for him to say.”

“What if it wasn’t a location, but a direction?”

Keith looked at the sundial drawing. The gnomon was covering one of the fives, leaving only one uncovered. He followed the direction that the five was pointing in and his gaze stopped at a shop called ‘Oracle Matchmaking Services’. He shared a look with Shiro, then walked towards the shop.

As they opened the door, the shopkeeper’s bell rang. 

“Welcome to Oracle Matchmaking Services! I see we have some returning customers!” Lance smirked from behind the counter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you made it to the end! Thank you so much!
> 
> I'd really appreciate it if you left me kudos and comments! Or you could also yell at me @stellar-parallax on tumblr!
> 
> <3


	4. Mirage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a good 1k of this written in the few days after I posted the last chapter but life got in the way aohfoiehfe.
> 
> Anyway, yeah here's chapter 4! I hope you like it!

“We were standing right outside! You could have come out and spoken to us!” Keith yelled.

“But where’s the fun in that?” Lance laughed. “Woah, who’s the new boyfriend?”

“New— I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

Lance smiled and held out his hand for Shiro to shake. “ Enchanté. ”

Shiro could tell that Lance was happy to see Keith, but he wasn’t so sure about how Keith felt. If he was being honest,  the more time he spent around Keith, the less he felt like he was able to read him. 

“Good lord, what the hell are you wearing?” Lance said. He walked out from behind the counter and started pulling and poking at the Keith’s oversized shirt. “Both of us could fit into this.”

“We, uh, ran into trouble. Volatile force. It was either his shirt...” He paused to tilt his head in Shiro’s direction. “... or no shirt.”

“Hot.”

“Shut up,” Keith retorted. “You said I’d be able to find the Queen of Webs here. Where is she?”

Lance sighed. He went to the back of the store and got someone to replace him at the front desk. When he re-emerged, he turned to look at one of the doors. “This way.”

Lance walked through the door, and Keith and Shiro followed close behind. They walked through a long hallway that led to a staircase that spiral downwards. Shiro could really feel the burn in his thighs, having not been in good physical shape prior to the start of their journey. He’d been able to keep up with Keith, but he didn’t need to be told to know that Keith normally went at a much faster pace. 

Once they got to the bottom, they were led into a room, then another long hallway.

“I’m doing fine, by the way. Thanks for asking,” Lance elbowed Keith in the rib. 

“Of course you’re fine. What harm could befall you now that you’ve been bound to the Queen?”

“Hmm.”

“What does that mean—being bound to the Queen?” Shiro asked.

“It’s not nearly as sexy as it sounds. I’m basically a glorified bodyguard. I’ve vowed to protect her with my life. In return, her magic protects me regardless of how far away she is from me. It’s a pretty sweet gig considering that her reserves are practically limitless.”

“Does that make the two of you, like, lovers?”

“Me and Allura? God, no.”

“But is that common? As in, lovers being bound by magic.”

“It happens, but I don’t think it’s ideal. Sure, if you’re the sappy kind it seems fucking romantic. But the bind is also mental and emotional. Not in the mind-reading way, of course, but you do tend to absorb each other’s feelings when you’re close by. It’s an excellent tool for fighting side-by-side, but it’s a huge drain if you’re going to be spending a lot of time with each other.” 

“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Keith ribbed. “Being an emotional sponge and all.”

“Exactly. It’s hard enough being an empath. Throw a bind into my relationship, and I’d lose my mind.”

“Mmm… yes… How is Pidge, by the way?” 

“Anyway, here we are.”

Shiro found himself faced with a large, cast iron door. Reflexively, he raised his hand to touch the details carved into the surface. He couldn’t believe that he lived beside magic all his life, and he was only now finding out so much for the first time. It was a whole new world, but it was also  _ his _ world. He just never considered that it wasn’t as straightforward as he previously thought.

The door creaked as it swung open. Behind it, Shiro saw rows of tapestry lining the walls. A long carpet spanned the door to the throne, which was where a beautiful lady in a voluminous blue and silver dress was sat. Now Shiro knew why she was called a queen—she looked like royalty, regardless of if she truly was. 

“Keith,” she gasped, “it’s been so long. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Unfortunately, it isn’t good news. Uh, this is Shiro. He’s from Koriades.”

“Your hometown! You’ve recently been?”

“Yes. That’s… that’s what I came here to talk to you about. There’s something weird going on and I don’t know what it is. I was hoping that you could figure out what it was.”

Allura’s eyes narrowed. She glanced at Lance who nodded quickly. 

“Come closer, Keith. Tell me what you know.”

Keith approached her throne. Shiro was about to follow when Lance grabbed him by the wrist.

“Shiro, right? Let me show you around.” His cheerful voice revealing nothing.

 

* * *

 

“Sorry about that. Allura gets a little paranoid about strangers watching her use her powers. At any rate, you’re probably going to need a whole lot of supplies.” Lance paused to giggle. “And probably a change of clothes for Keith.”

“Does he, uh, normally live here?”

“Keith? Nah. I was going to let him borrow some of my clothes since we’re close to the same size. But now that I think about it, he’d probably say no.”

“Keith? Keith is here?” 

A man close to his height emerged from a room that they had just walked by. He had chin-length dark hair that was kept out of his face with a bandana. He was wearing a light long sleeved shirt that was reminiscent of what Shiro imagined was fashionable a good thirty years ago. The light, loose and airy style contrasted with the suffocatingly skin-tight clothes that everyone else was wearing.

“Hunk! I didn’t know you were back!”

Hunk pulled Lance into a hug and pat him on the back. As he released Lance, he turned his attention to Shiro. “Uh, who’s he?”

“Ah, Hunk, this is Shiro. Shiro, Hunk.” Lance flashed a shit-eating grin. “Shiro is Keith’s friend.”

“Really?” Hunk raised an eyebrow. “Congrats, man. Keith was a great friend to me too. You must really—”

“Wait, if you’re back, that means that—”

Lance was cut off by someone quite a bit shorter than him running towards them and crushing him into a hug. She was dressed similarly to Hunk. Shiro wondered if they attracted attention wherever they went, sticking out so distinctly. But then again, if they travelled it was possible that they didn’t. Especially if they travelled outside of the bigger cities. 

“Ah-ah, yes, I missed you too,” Lance laughed. “Shiro, this is Pidge.”

“Nice to meet you!” Pidge let go of Lance and offered her hand for Shiro to shake. 

“Likewise. I’m here with Keith.”

“Keith, huh? He was a cool guy.”

“Was?”

“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t know him for long.” She shrugged.

Shiro smiled politely, trying his best not to reveal his apprehension. None of them seemed to know Keith that well. He started to worry if there was something that Keith was hiding for him, something that could very well endanger him. As far as he could tell, Keith had never lied to him. But the uncertainty did stir up some discomfort in him. 

“I’ll catch up with you later, guys,” Lance said. “Shiro, let’s get you some food.”

They continued down the hallway until they got to the supply room. The door creaked as Lance pushed it open, revealing shelves of canned and dried food. Lance grabbed a bag from a plastic bag caddy right by the door and started filling it with dehydrated meat and dried pasta. “I’m just guessing here. Is there anything you need? Anything specific?”

“Whatever you’ve packed so far looks good to me. I don’t know about Keith though…”

Lance stopped and raised his eyebrow. “Keith would eat a squirrel if he’s been hungry long enough. Don’t worry about him.”

There was that uneasy feeling again.

“Lance, you’ve known Keith for a while, right? A while ago, he mentioned that you were both taught by Kolivan.”

“Kolivan was our teacher, yes. Though I can’t honestly say that I know Keith. That one’s a bit of an enigma.”

Shiro’s face must have betrayed the worry he was feeling because Lance quickly added, “Wait, that doesn’t make Keith a bad person or anything. Everyone here trusts him. He’s just… not easy to get understand.”

Shiro nodded slightly to acknowledge what Lance said, but his mind was somewhere else. Maybe Keith wasn’t someone who let others get close to him, but he was selfless enough to let Shiro slow him down so that he could protect him. He didn’t even know why Keith wanted to protect him. It wasn’t like he would be missed if something were to happen to him.

Right when he thought that, Noire peaked her head out from her carrier and nuzzled Shiro’s cheek.

“Oh, your cat’s beautiful!” Lance exclaimed suddenly, almost dropping the bag in his hands. He reached out to stroke Noire’s head as she purred back at him in delight. “She’s a special one. I can tell.”

“How so?”

“I can’t really put my finger on it, but she has this… warm energy. No, healing energy.”

Shiro kissed the top of her head, “I definitely feel happier when she’s around.”

“You know…” Lance trailed off as he looked away from Shiro. “Now that I think about it, there’s a special kind of energy coming from you too. What ability do you have?”

“I don’t have anything. I’m a non-mage.”

“That doesn’t sound right. I’m definitely getting something off of you.”

Shiro racked his brain trying to think of an explanation, but he came up empty. He lived knowing that he hadn’t been gifted with magic or as long as he could remember, and there was no reason why he would suddenly have magical energy. Though, it did seem strange to him that Lance was the second person to take interest in his cat…

“Oh! I know what it is!” Shiro pulled out Keith’s blade from his bag. “It must be this. Keith tells me to hold onto it whenever we aren’t together so that I can use his magic if I need to. You know, for emergencies.”

Lance narrowed his eyes. “Keith gave you his enchanted weapon?  _ Interesting. _ ”

“What… what do you mean?”

“I’m only going to say this once. I may be a healer and an empath but if you do anything at all to hurt Keith, I’ll make you wish I had different abilities. Do I make myself clear?”

Shiro’s neck stiffened as he recoiled from the chill in Lance’s voice. He was sure that he didn’t even need to move for Lance to be sure of what his answer to that was. Yet, his breath grew thin and ragged as he started to wonder why anyone would think that he’d want to harm Keith.  It wasn’t like he could, even if he did want to. 

“Shiro?” he heard a familiar voice call out.

“We’re in the supply room, Keith,” Lance replied, still not taking his eyes off Shiro. 

Soon, Keith entered the room. 

“Did—” His voice came out in a squeak and he took a second to compose himself before trying again. “Did you get the answers you needed?”

Keith sighed and shook his head. “It seems like someone was blocking Allura from finding out… something.”

“Must be one hell of secret,” Shiro offered. 

“Or a trap. Either way, we need to keep moving. I need to meet someone in the next town and get some clothes that won't cost as much as half of a mortgage payment. Galtic City is disgustingly expensive.”

“It is, isn’t it? Here are the supplies that I’m not charging you for by the way,” Lance said. He picked up the bags off the floor and handed them to Keith. “Anyway, I have a front desk to man. Take care, you two.”

Just as he was about to step out of the room, he flash Shiro a strange look. It didn’t exactly come off as entirely caution or disgust. A little drop of worry was mixed into it too. Shiro tried not to read too much into it, but given the threat that he had just been issued, it was difficult for him to not be on edge. 

“You okay?” Keith asked. “Did Lance say something stupid when you were alone with him?”

Shiro wheezed. “No. Nothing stupid.”

Keith narrowed his eyes.

“No, he uh… Yeah, no, nothing stupid.”

He just couldn’t think of a diplomatic way of telling Keith what they talked about without either implying that he didn’t trust Keith, or that he was a suspicious character himself. It veered too close to dangerous territory and he rather liked having Keith around. 

“Alright then,” Keith said. “If there’s nothing else, we need to make a move. I’ll fill you in with the details when we’re on the road.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still reading this I... just wow, thank you. I've been having a hard time writing this because these are the parts where I planned to start foreshadowing later events but... I didn't actually plan what the foreshadowing would be. So that just meant that I had to sit down and go through all my notes and replan everything aifheiohfeoi. So yeah if you're also a writer _don't learn from me_. 
> 
> I've been doing a lot of art as of late, and the next thing that I'm going to start practicing on is drawing backgrounds that aren't just.. random slaps of weird brush strokes and filters. My plan is to draw a cover for each chapter. But also like, I'm planning to have 7-8 chapters of this so who knows if I'll finish that aihfioehofihe. 
> 
> Anyway yeah! If you've been here for a while, I'm glad that you haven't given up on me haha. And if you're new, hi!! :D


	5. Allusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh I suddenly felt motivated to update twice this week?

Shiro had never been to Olkaris before so he wasn’t sure what to expect. He knew that it wasn’t doing as well economically as Galtic City or even Koriades, but what he wasn’t expecting was a shanty town. There seemed to not be a system for how the buildings were arranged and the pathways were far from evenly surfaced. Most of the people he saw looked ill and dirty—and those were the ones who were better off. Even after a week of travelling through a forest with little options for hygiene and Keith wearing an ill-fitting shirt, it was clear that they still stood out. 

In spite of the disorganisation, Keith still walked unhesitatingly through the town, not once stopping to ask for directions. So Shiro followed behind, not uttering a word lest he distract him.

Then Keith stopped. 

Shiro took another step so that he stood right next to him. He turned to look at Keith. “Is there something—”

“Thace,” Keith whispered.

Keith walked towards a figure that was slumped against the wall. He knelt before him and said, “What happened to you?”

“I think an easier question would be: ‘what  _ hasn’t _ happened’,” Thace wheezed. “It’s been a long time since I saw you, boy.”

“Who… who did this to you?” Keith’s voice was cracking. “I thought… I thought this was the one place that you would have been safe from mages.”

“Ah, but no one is safe from desperation, Keith.”

Shiro didn’t even need to look at Keith to know that he was tearing up.

“Is there something I can do? Take you to a hospital?”

“A tourist passed through Olkaris the night that I started to feel really sick from the infection. I couldn’t afford to see a doctor when I first got stabbed and turned gangrene. She… she could only afford to pay for removing it.” He shifted his body to reveal the stump where the rest of his leg used to be. “There’s nothing more you can do other than getting me some booze to numb the pain for a few hours. It’s only a matter of time before the end comes.”

The air around Keith changed, became denser, making it harder to breathe. Even standing a shoulder-width apart from him, Shiro could feel it. Keith may keep people at a distance, but he made no attempt to hide his feelings.. Finally, he turned to Keith, who was standing up. 

“Let’s go.” His voice was quiet.

“We can’t just leave him here!” Shiro protested.

“There’s… there’s someone else I need to meet. Remember what we’re here for, Shiro.”

Shiro stayed where he stood. He couldn’t believe what he heard. He couldn’t believe that Keith would walk away from someone in need. Would he have walked away from Shiro if he wasn’t returning a favour? He didn’t even want to think about how his life would have been had Keith left him to the mercy of the mages back then, if there would have been a life to speak of. 

“Go,” Thace said. “You’re not helping anyone by waiting with me.”

Shiro took one last look at Thace. Then, he stepped forward, increasing his strides quickly in a feeble try to catch up with Keith. 

“Keith, can you slow down? I can’t… keep… KEITH!”

Keith whipped around. “WHAT?”

Shiro’s eyes widened. Keith sighed and softened his voice, “Yes, what is it?”

“You’re just going to leave him there? You knew him right?”

“You heard him, Shiro. I can’t help him. Not now, at least. There’s someone that I need to meet first.”

“Can’t that wait? Is your mission more important than someone’s life?”

Keith opened his mouth to say something, but no words escaped him. He pursed his lips, then turned around. Shiro could feel his frustration burn his insides.

“Keith, will you—”

He was interrupted by a long, melancholic whistle. 

When it stopped, he realised that his breaths were getting deeper, more deliberate. The cold wind that blew against his face tickled his eyes, persuading them to tear. He tried to finish his sentence but it was as if the breeze had stolen his voice and dispersed it across the town whose folk had none of their own. If only helping them could have been that simple. 

Suddenly, a flash of light erupted before him, followed by the appearance of a dark blue wolf.

“Kosmo, take me to Thace.” Keith’s voice was shaking.

Then, there was another flash of light. This time, both the wolf and Keith disappeared. Before Shiro had a chance to react, they had returned, this time with Thace strapped to Kosmo’s back. 

“We’ll… We’ll be taking a detour. Is that alright with you?” Keith mumbled, still not looking at Shiro.

Shiro smiled. “Lead the way.”

 

* * *

 

Shiro put himself in charge of cleaning up after their meal. As he was returning to their campsite from the stream, he overheard the other men talking. He stopped and hid behind a tree, peeking out slightly so he could watch them. 

“That was the best meal I’ve had in months, kid. Nothing feels better than a hot meal when you’ve been shivering for days,” Thace said as he pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders and moved closer to the fire. 

“We need to get you to a hospital quickly.”

“Kid, you’ve done enough.”

“Not yet.” Shiro had never seen Keith look so determined.

“Stop it. Tell me, who’s your friend?” Shiro could hear Thace’s voice getting weaker with every word he said.

“Shiro? He’s, uh, someone I met in Koriades. It’s really complicated, but we’re looking for something together.”

“It’s not,” he coughed before continuing, “like you to travel with someone else. What changed?”

There was a moment where they were both silent. Keith turned away from Thace. 

“What are you hiding, Keith? You know you can trust me.”

Another awkward pause. Finally, Keith turned back to look at Thace. He leaned forward. “Thace, I think that he might be—”

“Hey, you playing hide and seek?”

Shiro jumped. He fell into a bush that made a loud rustling noise, definitely alerting Keith and Thace to his presence. He face flushed with embarrassment and he felt like a child who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. He looked up at the person who snuck up on him and realised that he was looking at Lance. 

“Lance?” Keith asked.

Shiro and Lance walked towards where Keith and Thace were; Shiro with shame written all over his face, and Lance, with glee.

“What are you doing here?” Keith asked.

“Allura had me follow you. She said that something didn’t feel right and I should probably be there. You know, in case you run into trouble.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually glad to see you. He— Thace is really sick. He could use your help.”

Lance took a cursory glance at Thace, then avoided his gaze. Shiro watched as Lance furrowed his eyebrows, as though he was either deep in thought or listening intently to a soft sound. He looked down and bit his lip. He took a deep breath before saying, “I’m not doing it.”

“What… what do you mean you’re not doing it? Lance, if you don’t help him, he’ll—”

“I know.”

“Lance, look at him. Without your help, he may not make it through the night!”

Lance looked straight at Keith, his gunmetal blue eyes flashing. “I am aware of that, Keith. And so is he.”

Keith’s mouth gaped slightly. Shiro could hear his teeth chattering slightly as his lips trembled. Then, he stood up and stormed off, breaking branches and crushing leaves in his wake. 

“Keith, wait—” Shiro reached out.

Lance pushed Shiro’s arm down. “Let him go.”

“I don’t understand. Why don’t you want to help him?”

“Shiro, I want to.” It was only when he was looking directly into his eyes that Shiro realised that they had been welling up with tears. “He doesn’t want me to. It’s… it’s not my decision to make.”

Shiro looked at Thace who nodded and smiled sadly. “He speaks the truth.”

“Keith cares about you. He’ll get angry when he finds out about this,” Shiro tried to reason with him.

“Let him. Sometimes you need a bit of anger to move on. Give him time. He’ll understand.” His voice was barely a whisper. 

Lance knelt down beside Thace and took his hand. “Are you sure about this?”

“More than I have ever been about anything. I’m tired. It’s time.”

Lance smiled sorrowfully at him, the personification of the angel of death who never wanted such a burden on his soul. He looked once more at Shiro as if searching for some kind of moral support, but Shiro knew that he had none to offer him. Shiro was firm in his decision that he could not agree with what Lance was about to do. So Lance only looked at Thace, the only person whose decision held any weight.

“I have… this thing… where I can… make it hurt less.”

“I’d really appreciate that, kid.”

Lance took both of his hands in his and muttered something that Shiro assumed was an incantation. When he was done, Shiro saw the visible change in Thace’s face. He no longer looked weary, burdened, pained. All that was left behind was serenity. 

On the other hand, Lance’s face was scrunched up. Beads of sweat were forming along his hairline and his eyes were squeezed shut. The muscles of his arms and shoulders were contracting and he looked like he was wincing from… pain?

“Lance, what’s wrong?” Panic was rising in Shiro’s voice.

“To take away pain.... I have to absorb it... myself.”

“Please don’t stop. I haven’t felt this good in so long. It almost… It almost…”

Lance shuddered as he released the tension in his arms, leaving him gasping for air as if he had been holding his breath. His breaths got deeper, deeper, deepest. Then finally, he tilted his head back, eyes heavy-lidded, as he let the gentle wind run her fingers through his damp hair.

He didn’t need to say anything. Shiro already knew. 

 

* * *

 

After a while, Keith finally returned. Lance had gone off by himself to find a place to cremate Thace’s body, so it was just the two of them alone at the campsite. Shiro would be lying if he said he hadn’t been filled with relief when Keith arrived. Lance couldn’t have gotten far, but being alone in a forest at night was something that was way out of Shiro’s comfort zone. 

He pat the space on the log next to him and Keith complied. 

“There you are.” he opened up the blanket that he had with him and draped it over Keith. “Do you want to talk about it? Sometime, that helps.”

Keith averted his gaze. Shiro wondered if Keith already knew that Thace was gone. 

“Okay, if you won’t talk to me, I’ll talk to you.” He paused. “I… I was wrong.”

That got Keith’s attention. “About?”

“Back in Koriades, I was the weakest person around. I thought that if I just—  I thought that if they focused on me, no one else had to get hurt, you know?”

“Shiro, that’s—”

“I know that now. Even if I can’t see it, there will always be someone weaker, someone more vulnerable. And thinking that way… it’s basically saying that if there had been someone in a worse position than me, they would have deserved it.”

Keith was looking at Shiro. “I… think I can see where you’re coming from.”

“I can’t be complacent anymore. When all this is over, I’m going to start learning about everything—mages, non-mages, enchanted whatevers. It’s about time that mages stop treating non-mages badly!”

Keith’s lips parted, then he bit down on the lower one hard. He took a deep breath, then exhaled. 

“You’re holding something back,” Shiro remarked.

“Shiro, I’m… I’m a terrible person. Thace’s death… that’s my fault.”

‘What?”

“Shiro, I’ve never helped a non-mage in my life. I saw them get mistreated and killed every day and all I was concerned about was the bigger picture. The statistics. People aren’t just numbers and I… and I let myself think that way for so long.”

“What are you talking about? You helped me!”

Keith stared long and hard at Shiro, the emotion in his eyes flitting between frustration and unbridled confusion. Shiro shifted in his seat, reeling from the discomfort of being looked at so intently.

“You still don’t know? Shiro, you’re a mage.”

“What? No, I’m not.”

“You are. Remember back then I told you that you saved me before? I lied about what happened. I was getting picked on and one of them pulled a knife on me. You told him to back off and when he wouldn’t, you sent out this… wave… that knocked him out.”

“That’s not possible. If I have magic, why haven’t I been able to use it?”

“That was one of the things I asked Allura. She said she wasn’t sure but—”

“She has a theory on that,” Lance interrupted.

He took his place in front of the both of them. He tore off the bloodied formerly-white gloves that he had been wearing and threw them into the fire. He reached out for the flask of water near him and opened it, emptying its contents onto his hands. 

“Allura tried to establish a magical link with you but she couldn’t.” He said directly to Shiro. “That means that you don’t have your own link to the magical source. But remember when I told you that I had a strange feeling about you?”

Shiro nodded. How could he forget the conversation where Lance threatened to hurt him if he did anything to hurt Keith?

“Allura thinks that it’s possible that you have magic sealed in you—magic that isn’t yours. Kind of like an enchanted weapon.”

“Is that even possible? I’ve never heard of that,” Keith said.

“According to all of her records, it has only been known to have been performed successfully once. These two great mages managed to seal a tiny bit of their magic into their non-mage assistant, but it did weaken them considerably. Pidge thinks that if they had sealed even ten-percent more magic, they could have died from it. I don’t remember their names, though. I know they were married… something that starts with an S…”

“Shirogane,” Shiro breathed. “That’s… that’s what my grandparents meant when they said that my parents died protecting me.”

Keith placed his hand on Shiro’s forearm and squeezed it gently. “Would someone… would Shiro be able to use that?”

“Your parent’s experiments found that the seals could crack if the vessel was under immense psychological pressure, like if they thought that their life was in danger—”

“Like if someone threatened them,” Shiro interrupted.

“Yeah…” Lance laughed nervously. “Sorry about that. Just following orders.”

“So, it’s possible? Just like how he saved me before?” Keith asked.

“Releasing is not the same as controlling it. If what you remember actually happened, it sounds like the seal just cracked. And even if he could hypothetically control that... probably not well and not for long. But it also may be best that it happens soon. A non-mage’s body isn’t made to hold magic and when it’s forced to, the body is basically under extreme stress.”

“But that means that there’ll be nothing left protecting me!”

“It’s… it’s possible it would make you physically stronger as your body recovers from the stress. You can’t use that magic anyway so if you want to be really technical about it, you’d probably be in the same place as you are now. It’s just that—”

“You don’t know for sure.”

“Right.”

He’d spent his whole life wondering what his parents were like and now that he knew, he wasn’t sure what to do with it. He found his new purpose in life, one that wouldn’t require him to use magic. But that would put him in the dangerous position of politically opposing mages that could very well kill him if the so pleased. But could he even get that far in the physical state he was in?

The light from the campfire cast a red glow along Keith’s face as he turned to look at Shiro. Shiro didn’t need to be an empath to know what Keith meant with his lingering touch and the words he didn’t say. So he returned a slight smile, knowing that Keith would hear him too. 

And it was then that he realised that for the first time, his choices mattered to someone, but also didn’t. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to diverge from my original plan and I'm hoping that the changes aren't too out of place. Shiro was originally supposed to have powers that were sealed away because his parents were afraid that he wouldn't be able to control them. Kind of like Naruto if the Kyuubi's chakra was Naruto's own chakra... I think... haven't watched Naruto in a while. But I digress. The reason why I changed it was because I decided to change something about the ending, which would have been a bit of a.... _problematique_ message if I had kept the original plot. I can't really say much without spoiling you, but basically I felt that it would have been a little tone deaf given what Shiro represents in the canon story. 
> 
> But anyway yeah, this is the direction I felt more comfortable taking the story in so I hope that you still like it :X

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, you made it to the end! Thank you so much! 
> 
> I'd really appreciate it if you left me kudos and comments! Or you could also yell at me [on tumblr](https://stellar-parallax.tumblr.com)
> 
> Have a good day!


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